Hi there!! I’m a new bunny owner and am wanting to know how to bond with my bun. I got him 5 days ago, and he is 12 weeks old! He’s a Holland Lop and his name is Noob. I’ve been researching for ages, but I’ve never had a bun, so any advice/critique/answers from more experienced owners is very welcome!!
Here is what I’m doing:
Enclosure:
I have him in a pen that’s a little smaller than 4’x7’ (pic included, just to get an idea). He is in my sunroom with the door closed, since my roommate has a dog and a cat. They’re very nice/docile animals, but I didn’t want to scare him by introducing them in his area right away. I keep the AC at 72 for the sake of my electric bill, but my live-read thermometer always says it’s around 63-68. I’m thinking of putting his pen in my room (after bunny-proofing it, of course) in this next upcoming week. I’m hoping that’ll make the bonding part a little easier since he’ll be around me more? I don’t know if it will traumatize him to move his pen so early and quickly on though, since he’s been getting settled in the sunroom for the past 5 days.
Food:
I have a litter box for him in the corner of his pen, with a compartment for hay and one food and one water bowl attached to it. I’m hoping to litter train him (any tips are appreciated!). I’ve been reading mixed information about food amounts online so I’m hoping somebody will know or share their experience and knowledge. As of now, I’m feeding him about a 1/4th a cup of alfalfa pellets mixed in with the food that his breeder gave me (she gets it in an area hours away from where I am when she travels, so I’m trying to get him on this new one). I have alfalfa hay that i put in a trough next to the litter, and i sprinkle it on his litter box. He hasn’t really eaten the hay in the trough though, maybe it’s packed too tightly? I’m not sure when to change it out, so I haven’t changed it yet, but I change/add the hay on his litter box almost every day. I’ve also been giving him around 1/4 cup of romaine lettuce or cilantro. Maybe less because I know their digestive systems are sensitive to greens. I refill his water bowl every day. I change his litter completely every 3 days and spit clean his poop around the pen as needed and more than daily.
Enrichment:
I have a plethora of hay balls, chews, and hanging chews. I have stacking cups and a snuffle mat as well to itch his foraging/digging instinct. I also have a scratching post and scratching floor mat (I haven’t put the mat down yet though). He has a tunnel and another hide/bed for him to hide/rest in.
Bonding:
This is the part I’m curious about. Currently, I spend 1-2 hours sitting in his enclosure with him. He used to just hide in his tunnel, but he’s been coming out more when I’m there. I either will hold treats (small lettuce/cilantro pieces) or his pellets in my palm and rest it on the ground and in his view point. the first day or two, he’d come out of his tunnel by maybe an inch, run back in, and not take the food. for the past 3 days though, he’s been getting more and more adventurous, with each day being more than the previous one. now, he’ll come out of the tunnel when i come in his enclosure, he’ll sniff my hand and eat the pellets, headbutt my hand for more, and run around his tunnel. he’ll sniff and walk around me, and i’ve even put his treat on my leg and he’s put his two front legs on it to eat it! sometimes he’ll take the treats and immediately run back into his tunnel, but he’ll come out again. i always let him come to me. there were a couple of times when i was feeding him and got some strokes on his head!
I’ve been thinking of sleeping out there next to him, but I’m wondering if I should just keep him in my room? Is there a good method to bond with them at this age, any tips you have, or any advice you can give from experience? His breeder said he was the sweetest of his litter, even though I know it’s hard to tell personalities now.
I’m hoping to find a best friend and a little shadow, but I do know every bun is different and you cannot force them to love you or bind a certain way. I just want to know anything I can do to make it as strong as possible!
by taylarson2